Clemson’s offense has been unpredictable this season, with moments of explosive passing, followed by a growing reliance on the ground game. This shift has placed a heavy workload on senior RB Phil Mafah, raising the question: is he being overused?
Mafah has logged 161 carries for 981 yards and 8 touchdowns this season, compared to 179 carries for 965 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. Coach Dabo Swinney praises Mafah for his intelligence, patience, and understanding of the game, calling him a key player in a strong season.
Despite Mafah’s increased workload—56 carries over the past two games—Swinney shows no concern, even doubling down on the idea that “mo’ Mafah, mo’ better.” He emphasizes that Mafah, as the team’s “horse,” should be in the game during critical moments.
However, as Mafah’s carries have increased, his yards per carry have dropped. In the first four games, he averaged 10.7 carries and 8.0 yards per carry; since then, it’s jumped to 23.6 carries per game, with an average of 5.4 yards per carry. While this is typical for any back getting more touches, Mafah hasn’t appeared as explosive in recent weeks. It’s unclear whether this is due to fatigue or increased focus from opposing defenses on the run.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s backup running backs have been largely ineffective, with QB Cade Klubnik second in carries. As it stands, Clemson seems committed to relying on Mafah for the remainder of the season, but it will be worth watching if he can maintain this heavy load as the Tigers continue to rely on him as the cornerstone of their offense.
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